Final answer:
The correct equation for the sales associate's earnings over 12 weeks is y = 250x + 500; after calculation, the total earnings are $3500.
Step-by-step explanation:
The situation described in the question involves a sales associate who receives a $500 hiring bonus and an average commission of $250 per week for the next 12 weeks. To write an equation in the form y = mx + b, let y represent the total earnings, m represent the weekly commission, x represent the number of weeks, and b represent the hiring bonus. The correct equation for this scenario is y = 250x + 500. To solve for the total amount earned in 12 weeks, we substitute x with 12 and calculate y = 250(12) + 500, which equals $3500.